The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis of 1915

Shell Crisis of 1915

The Shell Crisis of 1915 was a shortage of artillery shells on the front lines of World War I, which largely contributed to weakening public appreciation of government of the United Kingdom because it was widely perceived that the production of artillery shells for use by the British Army was...

 when there was much public criticism of the shortage of shells

Shell (projectile)

A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...

 available.

Most Ministers appointed were senior politicians, starting with David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George

David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...

. The position was abolished in 1921 as part of a cutback of government and as a delayed result of the end of WWI in 1918.

Ministers of Munitions, 1915–1921

Name	Entered office	Left office
David Lloyd George David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...	25 May 1915	9 July 1916
Hon. Edwin Samuel Montagu Edwin Samuel Montagu Edwin Samuel Montagu PC was a British Liberal politician. He notably served as Secretary of State for India between 1917 and 1922.-Background and education:...	9 July 1916	10 December 1916
Christopher Addison Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison Sir Christopher Addison, 1st Viscount Addison KG, PC was a British medical doctor and politician. By turns a liberal and a socialist, he served as Minister of Munitions during the first World War, and was later Minister of Health under David Lloyd George and Leader of the House of Lords under...	10 December 1916	17 July 1917
Winston Churchill Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...	17 July 1917	10 January 1919
The Lord Inverforth Andrew Weir, 1st Baron Inverforth Andrew Weir, 1st Baron Inverforth PC created and headed the firm of Andrew Weir and Co. shipowners of Glasgow...	10 January 1919	21 March 1921

Parliamentary Secretaries to the Ministry of Munitions, 1916–1919

Name	Entered office	Left office
Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, Bt	14 December 1916	30 January 1918
F. G. Kellaway Frederick Kellaway Frederick George Kellaway PC , often called F. G. Kellaway, was a Liberal Party politician in the United Kingdom, and Member of Parliament for Bedford from December 1910 to 1922....	14 December 1916	1 April 1920
J. E. B. Seely J. E. B. Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone John Edward Bernard Seely, 1st Baron Mottistone CB, CMG, DSO, PC, TD was a British soldier and politician. He was a Conservative Member of Parliament from 1900 to 1904 and a Liberal MP from 1904 to 1922 and from 1923 to 1924...	10 July 1918	10 January 1919
John Baird John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven John Lawrence Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven, GCMG, DSO, PC, JP, DL , known as Sir John Baird, Bt, between 1920 and 1925 and as The Lord Stonehaven between 1925 and 1928, was a British Conservative politician, who served as a Member of Parliament, government minister, and was later the eighth...	10 January 1919	29 April 1919

Parliamentary and Financial Secretaries to the Ministry of Munitions, 1918–1921

Name	Entered office	Left office
Sir Laming Worthington-Evans, Bt	30 January 1918	18 July 1918
James Hope	27 January 1919	31 March 1921